Three-county area unemployment rates down to single digits in July

By Margaret Fisher / The Free Press

Published: Thursday, August 29, 2013 at 08:09 PM.

In Greene County, the labor force and employed is up, but those actively seeking work is down by 1 percent.

The July not-seasonally-adjusted statewide rate was 9.1 percent. This was a 0.2 of a percentage-point decrease from June’s revised rate of 9.3 percent, and a 0.9 percentage-point decline over the year.

Over the month, unemployment rates (not seasonally adjusted) decreased in 81 counties in July, increased in nine and remained the same in 10.

Currituck County’s unemployment rate remains at the lowest at 5.3 percent, while Scotland County, west of Fayetteville, ranks highest at 16 percent.

When compared to the same month last year, not seasonally adjusted unemployment rates decreased in 97 counties, increased in two and remained unchanged in one. All 14 metro areas experienced rate decreases.

The Rocky Mount metro area had the highest unemployment rate in July at 13.3 percent, while Asheville reported the month’s lowest unemployment rate at 6.8 percent. Durham/Chapel Hill followed at 7.1 percent.

Statewide in July, there were 33,904 regular unemployment insurance initial claims filed in the state. Total regular initial claims are based on the number of transactions.

The North Carolina Department of Commerce’s Labor and Economic Analysis Division released preliminary unemployment data by county for July.

Jones County ranks 35th at 8.9 percent, Greene County is 52nd at 9.5 percent and Lenoir County ranks 61st at 9.9 percent.

The three counties, as well as the state, were all in the double digits a year earlier. They have all dropped down into single digits.

Lenoir County’s unemployment rate remained the same as in June, but is lower than the 10.4 percent it was in June 2012.

Jones County decreased more than a point from 10.4 percent in June and nearly two points lower than the 10.7 percent it was a year earlier.

Greene County’s rate decreased from 10.7 percent in June and 10.5 a year ago, but remains the highest of the three counties.

Larry Parker, spokesman with the Division, said it’s better to compare figures over the year than month-to-month.

“You’re going to see some fluctuation rates in the summer months,” he said, “because these (rates) are not seasonally adjusted. Typically, people are looking for work in May and June.”

By July and August, many people are dropping out of the seasonal work, he said.

Parker discussed the three counties’ data, compared with a year ago.

In Lenoir County, the labor force is down by 327, the number of employed is down by about 135 and the number of unemployed has decreased by 192, Parker said.

Reasons for the drop in people working can be diverse, including people moving, no longer looking for a job or leaving the workforce due to seasonal jobs, he said.

Jones County’s labor force is also down, but there is no change in the number of employed. The unemployment rate dropped by 1.8 percent.

“There is a huge impact,” Parker said about Jones County, “when the labor force is only 4,467.”

In Greene County, the labor force and employed is up, but those actively seeking work is down by 1 percent.

The July not-seasonally-adjusted statewide rate was 9.1 percent. This was a 0.2 of a percentage-point decrease from June’s revised rate of 9.3 percent, and a 0.9 percentage-point decline over the year.

Over the month, unemployment rates (not seasonally adjusted) decreased in 81 counties in July, increased in nine and remained the same in 10.

Currituck County’s unemployment rate remains at the lowest at 5.3 percent, while Scotland County, west of Fayetteville, ranks highest at 16 percent.

When compared to the same month last year, not seasonally adjusted unemployment rates decreased in 97 counties, increased in two and remained unchanged in one. All 14 metro areas experienced rate decreases.

The Rocky Mount metro area had the highest unemployment rate in July at 13.3 percent, while Asheville reported the month’s lowest unemployment rate at 6.8 percent. Durham/Chapel Hill followed at 7.1 percent.

Statewide in July, there were 33,904 regular unemployment insurance initial claims filed in the state. Total regular initial claims are based on the number of transactions.

In July, benefits paid in Greene and Jones and 41 other counties fell between $840,039 and $10.37 million. Benefits paid to Lenoir and 34 other counties were between $10.37 million and $26.83 million.

Benefits totaled as much as $248.42 million in the six remaining counties, including Mechlanburg, Wake and Guilford. Total statewide benefits paid out were nearly $2.39 trillion.

The statewide unemployment rate release for August is scheduled for Sept. 20, with county rates generally released about a week later.

Margaret Fisher can be reached at 252-559-1082 or Margaret.Fisher@Kinston.com. Follow her on Twitter @MargaretFishr.